Are smart cards tamper-proof?
Are there any industry standards that deal with tamper-proofing technologies associated with smart cards? There are many technologies out there (holograms, microprinting, etc.), but each has its pros and cons when it comes to cost and overall value to tamper resistance. Could you speak to this at all?

    Requires Free Membership to View

    SearchSecurity.com members gain immediate and unlimited access to breaking industry news, virus alerts, new hacker threats, highly focused security newsletters, and more -- all at no cost. Join me on SearchSecurity.com today!

    Michael S. Mimoso, Editorial Director

    By submitting your registration information to SearchSecurity.com you agree to receive email communications from TechTarget and TechTarget partners. We encourage you to read our Privacy Policy which contains important disclosures about how we collect and use your registration and other information. If you reside outside of the United States, by submitting this registration information you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Your use of SearchSecurity.com is governed by our Terms of Use. You may contact us at webmaster@TechTarget.com.

There are many standards out there for smart card implementations. To learn more about them the best place to start is at The Smart Card Alliance. The SCA is a non-profit industry trade group that promotes smart card technology and use. They have the most complete list of smart card standards on their Web site, http://www.smartcardalliance.org.

To learn about standards for tamper-proof technologies, visit the International Standards Organization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) site. ISO/IEC's standards cover physical characteristics of smart cards.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has also issued the Government Smart Card-Interoperability Specification for complying with government security criteria. Among those are standards for selecting smart card containers.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) also issues smart card standards, but for private industry, not just government.

More Information

  • To weigh the pros and cons of Tokens and Smart Cards, visit our resource center and read our collections of news, tips and expert advice.
  • This was first published in May 2006